Raven
by Neleh Yentraccam
Summary: Harry gets a day off his chores and meets a strange boy in the park. Tom accidentally travels through time to visit his younger friend. Neither figures out what is going on until it stops happening. Disclaimer and warnings on profile. HP/TMR LV Dark Harry
1. Chapter 1

Harry James Potter was a scrawny, little boy. His relatives weren't very fond of him for some reason. He knew they didn't like him in fact they hated him. If he ever did anything wrong or even if something bad happened they blamed him completely and he was sent to the cupboard under the stairs that was where he slept.

That day was no different, even though it was Harry's fourth birthday his aunt, uncle and cousin kept pretending that he did not exist for any purpose other than doing their household chores for them. Knowing that he would have some time to himself if he finished his chores quickly powered his efforts and he managed to get them all done in record time before going out to explore, and if he never came back his family would probably be happier.

Harry barely managed to go out for playtime, so when other children became bored of the playground and wanted more toys or different places to play he continued to be content just sitting on the swing daydreaming.

Nearly an hour after Harry got to the park he noticed he was alone. All the other children and their parents had left. Smiling at this he began to play properly. He raced himself across the obstacles and fought invisible demons that tried to push him back. Soon he was immersed in his imagination and didn't see the see the eight year boy appear to watch him.

For minutes on end the dark haired boy watched Harry playing and grinned at how simple it was for Harry to amuse himself. When Harry finally noticed the newcomer he stopped his games and starred. The boy looked like he had come straight out of one of his aunt's magazines.

The boy walked towards Harry, smiling kindly. Harry timidly smiled back, nervous for the first time in his short life. "Hello," started the boy. "My name's Tom Riddle. What's yours?" Glad to put a name to the new face Harry answered, "My aunt calls me freak and my uncle calls me boy."

Horrified at Harry's poor treatment Tom's eyes widened. Composing himself he tells Harry "Well, then I will have to find another name for you won't I? How about Raven?"

"Why Raven?" asks Harry curiously.

"Because of your hair." answers Tom.


	2. Chapter 2

That day was the start of a near perfect friendship. Tom visited Raven all the time and when he could he helped to finish the impossible load of chores his relatives gave him. They always told each other everything and like many things it seemed like it would last forever.

But like all these things it eventually had to come to an end. A few weeks before Raven's seventh birthday, Tom came to visit him. Tom had been accepted into a school for 'special people', a place called Hogwarts. It was a boarding school and Tom would be going there for the whole school year as of the first of September.

Raven took it hard, he freaked out when Tom told him this. Tom was always there for him when things got rough. If Tom went away to some boarding school for most of the year then he wouldn't be there for Raven.

It took Tom a week to calm Raven down. Even then Raven was still mad and refused to talk with Tom, he only listened. Tom promised that he would visit each year and the second he was legally allowed he would take Raven away with him. This made Raven happier but he still became moody any time Tom mentioned his departure.

The day before Tom finally left, Raven was in his worst mood yet. His family had gone out for the day and he had been left to do his chores. When Tom arrived Raven didn't even nod in his direction. Tom spoke about the village he had been to where he was earning money and made a promise to come take Raven away as soon as it was legal. He said he would come to visit every year, he even suggested visiting in the holidays between terms.

The second Tom suggested returning for the holidays Raven turns around in a flash. "NO!" He shouts, drawing the attention of a passerby. "You can't come back! You hate being here!" Tom smiled happily, Raven had finally responded, such a shame it only happened once he suggested returning and it was a negative reaction. If only Raven would understand how much he meant to Tom.

"Raven, I just want to make sure that you're going to be okay. How do you think I'd feel if something happened to you and I didn't find out for nearly a year? I would be devastated do you get that? I need to be able to know you're alright."

Contemplating this Raven answers quickly "Okay, okay, it's hard for you too but I still don't want you coming back more than once a year. I will be completely fine without a full-time bodyguard."

Chuckling, Tom sees their relationship has gone back to the easy rapport it once was and he continues to tell Raven every little detail he can about the wonderful place.

The years pass one by one and each summer Raven would wait anxiously by their meeting place for his friend. This year it was only a few days until Raven's eleventh birthday. He had been receiving letters from an unknown sender but the one time he had managed to glance at one it looked almost exactly the same as the ones Tom showed him.

Raven's hopes were high this year, it had been after Tom turned eleven that he got into Hogwarts. Maybe it was Raven's turn and they could go together. Tom would just love teaching Raven all the secrets the school taught and the ones they didn't.

Eventually Tom arrived with tales of the year he seemed excited for some unfathomable reason. More curious about his friend's news than anything else he forgets about his own and listens to his over-eager friend. Tom talks about how he recently discovered that he is the heir to one the founders of his school and how this improved his standing with the other students so much.

Listening patiently until he could tell Tom his own speculations, Raven noticed how Tom talked less of how what he had learned would be useful when he took Raven away and more of how he was going to do all these great things in this world he had barely told Raven anything about.

After a few hours of this Raven had had enough. "TOM!" He practically shouted. "I get it already! You're excited! You had a good year! I get it!"

Shocked, Tom replied, "Raven, what's got into you? Is something wrong? You don't usually mind me going on forever…?"

Turning away Raven quickly contemplated his answer. "Well," He began, "usually you're more focused on how it will help when you can legally get us both away or how I'm going to react when you finally show me an-"

"So you're jeal-"Tom tried to cut Raven off.

"Maybe! But that's not the point!" Raven cut back in, "I have something to share this time as well and you haven't let me get a word in edgewise! I'm eleven this year! Did you remember that? And if you remember it was when you were eleven that you the stupid invite to this special school anyway! I have been getting letters from someone everyday for a week! My family doesn't want me to read them so I can only guess what they might be! And on top of that, I got to go to the zoo for my cousin's birthday."

Tom tried cutting in a second time, "What does going to the zoo have to do with anything-"

"I was getting to that before you interrupted. While at the zoo I talked with one of the animals. If that doesn't warrant as good enough for your gifted school then I hate to think what is." Finished Raven surprisingly calmly before he walked off.


	3. Chapter 3

Raven sulked the rest of the day and didn't even notice when he was denied dinner for the fifth time that week. Nor did he notice when the snake he had freed from the zoo came and listened to his muttering before leaving.

He was so immersed in his thoughts he didn't even hear his uncle calling for everyone to pack and just let himself be led out and stuffed into the car without protest. His family had brought some of their things with them and to an onlooker it seemed like a normal family going for a holiday.

They drove for a long time, frequently changing direction until they finally stopped at motel. They stayed there overnight and in the morning there was another lot of letters waiting for Raven at the front desk. His uncle took them and got rid of them before Raven could get his hands on one, then they left again.

After another day of driving they arrived at a beach where they could see an island out in the sea. Raven's uncle disappears for a few minutes before coming back with some packages and leading the family into a small boat. He rows out to the island where his wife and son are surprised to find a small shack.

They stay the night there in that shack and Raven realizes it will be his birthday in the morning. Unable to sleep on the hard ground he watches his cousins watch as the seconds slowly tic by and he counts the minutes until he is eleven.

As the new day begins Raven wishes himself a soft 'Happy Birthday' then settles down to go to sleep. Soon, a loud banging and the flimsy door shuddering wake him and his relatives. His uncle comes through from the other room carrying a rifle just in time to see the door fall in.

A giant man filled the doorframe before stepping through. "Sorry 'bout tha'." He said before turning round and putting the door back in place. "I'm Hagrid, Gamekeeper at Hogwarts, School of-"

"Yes, yes. I am aware of what is taught at Hogwarts, you don't need to spell it out for me. If you would just give me my letter and tell me what I am to use to pay for my supplies, please?" Raven interrupted, shocking all those in the room.

"What are you talking about boy? How would you know what Hogwarts is?" his uncle shouted then turning towards Hagrid, "And I'll have you know he is not going to this school so that some old crackpot fool can teach him to pull rabbits out of hats."

"Albus Dum-" Raven interrupted Hagrid quickly, "I will go to whatever school I want. My parents signed my up for this school and will have already paid. Also it will get rid of me for ten months a year so that's a good thing for you right?" Raven smirked knowing he would win using this tactic and sure enough his uncle suddenly decided Hogwarts was a great idea, even promising to pay for some of his supplies requiring he didn't actually have to buy them.

Hagrid was glad for this even though he was still mad about the insult to Dumbledore who Tom had told Raven was one of the teacher's at Hogwarts. Hagrid then gave Raven his letter addressed to Mr. H. J. Potter; inside it held a short letter from the Deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagall. Raven wondered about this as Tom had once mentioned one of the prefects had the last name McGonagall, maybe they were related. The letter just told Raven the basics about Hogwarts and came with a list of supplies to be bought in Diagon Alley.

Noticing the time for the first time since he arrived Hagrid suggested going back to sleep until morning. They did this and in the morning Raven was the first to wake. There was an owl pecking at one of the small cabin's windows. He got up to let it in and he noticed there was a newspaper attached to its leg. He took the paper and thought the owl would leave but it began to peck at Hagrid's coat. "It wants money pay it three Knuts." Hagrid said while sleeping. Raven understood it was money but he hadn't brought any of them with him. "Where do I get the Knuts? Hagrid?" "Check my coat pockets."

As Raven went through the pockets he found many various things before he found the small Knuts. One of the things he found was a small key with a tag saying Harry Potter. He took three Knuts to pay the bird and put the key in his pocket before returning everything else to its original place.

Raven wrote a note for his uncle and aunt then left the small island. There was only one boat so he had to wrap his spare clothes in plastic and swim across to the mainland. Once Raven had dried off he caught a bus into London. In London he followed the directions Tom had told him about until he reached the Leaky Caldron, it was well hidden and if Raven hadn't been looking for it he would not have seen anything. The pub was small and full of people staying at the inn eating their breakfast.

Sneaking through the room Raven made it to the entrance to Diagon Alley. He was just in time to slip in behind a family of blondes. Raven followed them through the alley to Gringotts, the bank. There was a warning about stealing from them outside the doors but Raven paid it no mind and went straight in.

The main room was full of goblins going about business serving customers. Raven went up to one of the desks held out the key he had taken and asked to be taken to his vault. The goblin called for another to take him and they boarded a cart. It was like Raven would imagine a rollercoaster and he found himself enjoying it immensely. His vault turned out to be full of money and interesting family artifacts, the goblin seeing his shock informed him that this was just his trust fund vault and there was far more in the multiple family vaults he would inherit when he came of age. Trying to hide his glee Raven filling a bag with the gold and left the bank I order to actually get some shopping done this decade.


	4. Chapter 4

Raven started with the robes and other miscellaneous items like his cauldron and scales, trunk and other such things. He planned to leave the apothecary till last and books till just before that. In the robes store, Madam Malkin's he meet the blonde boy again. His name was Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. Raven thought his way of introducing himself was quite arrogant and mimicked him. "Well Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, my name is Raven. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

This caused the other boy to laugh. "All right, you can just call me Draco though. What's your real name though? Surely your parents didn't name you Raven." Raven shook his head. "They didn't call me Raven, at least I don't think they did." He shrugged. Draco looked shocked, "You don't know your own name?" Raven was affronted. "Of course I know my name. It's Raven. Just because it isn't the name my parents gave me doesn't mean it's not my name."

Draco was suitably sorry. "Sorry, it's just, I've never met anyone who doesn't go by their birth name, let alone someone who doesn't know it. Do you have your letter with you?" Raven nodded. "Can I see it?" Asked Draco. Raven rummaged around in his bag and pulled out the letter, still in the envelope. Draco took and read the name on the front, eyes widening in surprise.

"Raven…" He started cautiously. "Are you aware that you are famous?" Raven shook his head. "Well you are. As a baby you defeated the Dark Lord, it was on that night that your parents died by his hand. No one knows how you survived, you are the only person known to live through the killing curse."

"The killing curse?" Raven's curiosity was clear on his face, "Is that anything like _imperio _or _crucio_?"

"I thought you didn't know anything about the wizarding world?" Draco asked.

"I don't but I have a friend who tells me things. Sometimes when I annoy him he pretends to curse me. Most of the time it's either _imperio_ or _crucio_. But sometimes he does others. It's funny, I can generally pretend to dodge it or act like it's actually doing something and that will make him happy again. I've managed to figure out that _imperio _makes the victim do whatever the caster wills though since I can't read his mind he can tell I'm faking it. I also found out that _crucio_ causes immense pain, though there are others that cause less pain. It was interesting trying to figure out those, I had to try get the amount of pain right to fool him."

"Raven, that's dangerous. What if he did that with his wand and actually cursed you but thought you were acting? And why isn't he here with you? And wouldn't he have seen your scar and known who you were?" Draco seemed genuinely worried for Raven's wellbeing.

"It's fine. He has never actually cursed me, he never even gets his wand out and he is always terrified for me when I start acting. He isn't here because I got mad at him when he got back from Hogwarts and didn't give me a chance to speak while he went on and on about the things he did. I haven't seen him since. And what scar are you talking about? I don't have any scars, at least not anymore, they all heal over."

"What about the lightning bolt on your forehead? It's a curse scar, given to you the night the Dark Lord killed you parents and curse scars don't heal." Raven shook his head. "It's gone. It probably lasted the longest but it disappeared when I was about five and my friend never thought anything special of it."

"Show me." Draco demanded. Raven lifted his fringe up to reveal a perfectly clear forehead, no scar in sight. It was just as Draco was recovering from his shock that Madam Malkin came in with each of their purchases and shooed them out. The two boys headed off to the wand shop, Ollivander's in silence.

In the wand shop they found Draco's parents waiting for him. "And what might this be, Draco?" Draco's father asked with obvious contempt in his voice. "Father, may I introduce-" Draco was cut off as Raven butted in. "My name is Raven mister Malfoy and I would appreciate being treated with respect, I am not an animal." Raven glared at the man, then with a sudden idea asked Draco. "Your last name is Malfoy, I just realized, a friend of the friend I told you about earlier was called Abraxas Malfoy. Are you by any chance related?"

Draco's father regained his composure after being spoken to in such a rude manner, "Abraxas Malfoy was my father. He died a small number of years ago and there are no other Malfoy's in existence." Raven had a look of concentration on his face. "I saw some pictures and painting that moved in some places here, is there any chance he has a portrait that I could meet with?"

"Draco…" Mr. Malfoy turned to his son, "Is this boy a mudblood?"

Before Draco could answer Raven interrupted again. "I am most certainly not a mudblood. If I was then I wouldn't be able to do this would I?" He opened his mouth and with a soft hissing sound all the loose objects in the room flew into the air forming a snake and pretend striking at the man before floating back to their original positions.

At this moment the owner of the store made an appearance. "Ah, Misters Potter and Malfoy, lovely. How about we start with you Mr. Malfoy, try this." He held out a wand that instead of returning to its case had landed in his hand. Draco took the wand gave it a flick and green sparks shot out in a lovely display. He bought the wand and Ollivander moved on to Raven.

"Mister Potter, it seems like just yesterday I was selling your parents their first wands. Now try this." He held out a wand but grabbed it back before Raven even touched it. "No, no. That's not right. Try this." Again Raven didn't even touch the wand before Ollivander took it away. This went on for ages until Raven was sure there were no more wands for him to try, but just as he was about to leave Ollivander brought out one last wand. He took the wand and the room was filled with a golden light swirling around Raven. "Curious, curious." Ollivander murmured.

Lord Malfoy butted in then "Excuse me, but what exactly is so curious?" Ollivander stared at him for a moment before answering. "It is curious because the phoenix feather in that wand comes from a phoenix that only gave one other feather. That feather is in its brother wand and I remember every wand I have ever sold." He then went silent and took Raven's money, handing over the wand.

It was then Draco's turn to butt in. "Who did the other wand go to?"

Ollivander smiled at the occupants of the room. "The other wand went to the one who gave that mark to the Lord Malfoy, the one who was there when no one else was." He looked directly at Raven as he said that. Raven's eyes bulged at this. "Really?" He asked. "Did it really? Are our wands truly brothers?" Ollivander nodded and Raven said thanks before he went, leaving the Malfoy's slightly confused.

Raven finished up his shopping in his own finally ending up in the Flourish & Blott's and going through half of his remaining gold in one go as he bought the required books along with many others for his own purposes. Once done he returned to Little Whinging to await September first.


End file.
